Monkeys and Rats Cause Decline in Maize Harvest in West Manggarai

The maize harvest of the Leseng Dua Farmers’ Group in Leseng Village, Look Hamlet, Golo Mori Village, Komodo District, West Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), has declined this year due to attacks by monkeys and rats. Unstable rainfall has also reduced the yield of the hybrid NK Sakti maize variety.

“This year the challenges have been quite heavy for us. The unstable intensity of rainfall has greatly affected the growth of maize kernels,” stated the Chairman of the Leseng Dua Farmers’ Group, Muhamad Bahudin, in a written statement on Sunday (22/3/2026) evening.

“Not to mention the massive disturbances from rat and monkey pests this season,” he continued.

The maize harvest on the three-hectare plot took place on Sunday (22/3/2026). The yield was only around 17.74 tonnes. This amount is down from last year’s 25 tonnes. The farming group consists of 16 members.

The maize harvest involved personnel from the Komodo Police Sector and the Human Resources Section of the West Manggarai Police Resort. The police claim their presence in the harvest activity is a form of escorting the food self-sufficiency programme.

“Our presence here is not just ceremonial, but a form of moral and physical support to our food fighters. We want to ensure that the food self-sufficiency programme receives maximum escorting down to the village level,” said Komodo Police Chief AKP Eka Dharma Yudha.

Eka stated that the police will monitor the distribution of the harvest results to prevent disruptions from speculators. This aims to ensure that farmers do not suffer losses during the harvest.

“The success of the self-sufficiency programme is not just about the harvest in the fields, but also how distribution and market prices remain stable. This is crucial so that farmers do not incur losses when yields drop as they are now. The welfare of farmers is the key to sustainable food security,” Eka emphasised.